Former Arsenal star Gilberto Silva has hailed Arsene Wenger’s achievements at the club with whom he himself lifted the Premier League title and two FA Cups.

The Brazillian has revealed he fancies replacing Wenger as the Gunners’ boss in the future but has in the meantime praised the veteran coach, who is celebrating his second decade in charge of the side this week.

Part of the legendary ‘Invincibles’ side that went unbeaten in the 2003-04 season, Gilberto believes the London club must start planning for a future without their long-serving French manager, whose long career is inevitably drawing to a close.

‘As a football manager, to stay in a club for 20 years you have to congratulate the guy for achieving such an important thing in his life,’ Gilberto told the media, reports Goal.

‘The way he changed the club by bringing new ideas and helping bring in good players for the club, meant that they got the results everyone expected. This is not so easy,’ he continued.

Gilberto has also moved to defend Wenger from the criticism he has faced in more recent seasons.

‘Sometimes he will make mistakes and when you fail, sometimes people don’t forgive you. Arsene at this time is facing a lot of criticism for the way the team play and they haven’t got the trophies. But if people see the entire job he has done for the club, it has been amazing,’ Gilberto added.

The Brazilians concluded by suggesting Wenger would not be easy to replaced at the club, much the way Manchester United have struggled to fill the void left by Sir Alex Ferguson.